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tv   Andrea Mitchell Reports  MSNBC  December 3, 2012 10:00am-11:00am PST

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nowherep. just 28 days left and fiscal cliff talks are at a standstill over taxes and entitlements. >> they must have forgotten that republicans have continued to hold the majority in the house. but, you know, the president's idea of a negotiation is roll over and do what i ask. we need to find common ground and we need to find it quickly. >> could the only thing standing in the way of that would be a refusal by republicans to accept rates have to go up on the wealthiest americans and i don't really see them doing that. >> thank you very much. mr. president. >> meanwhile as nato prepares to deploy patriot missile defenses to turkey, hillary clinton warns syria against moving its
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chemical weapons. >> this is a red line for the united states. i'm not going to telegraph in any specifics what we are would do in the event of credible evidence that the assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people, but suffice it to say, we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur. >> and while washington buzzes over this video tribute to clinton, some are asking is it a farewell to the secretary or prelude to 2016? honoring the icons. politics meets hollywood. a tribute to the arts. president obama finds a way to salute an eclectic group of honor
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honorees. >> we've got my guy sitting next to dustin hoffman. dave letterman alongside one of the greatest ballerinas of all time. i couldn't think dave dances. there's no smooth transition from ballerina to led skep lin. they redefine the rock and roll lifestyle. we do not have video of this. there was some hotel rooms trashed and mayhem all around. so it's fitting that we're doing this in a room with windows about three inches thick. >> and oh baby, the palace makes it official, there was a reason she's been toasting with water, not wine. the duke and duchess are expecting. happy days. >> good day. i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. a new week brings new opportunities for grid lock as
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speaker boehner -- joining me chris cizilla and managing editor of post politics.com and chuck todd, political director and host of the daily rundown. guys, busy weekend here in washington. and at every place i went, anybody i talked to, there was nothing but disappointment and the assumption as you've been saying, chuck, nothing will happen another two weeks because they're going to wait until the bitter end. >> does feel like since we're talking about led zeppelin, i'm still shaken by this, the unofficial led zeppelin four changed my life as an 11-year-old. i have it on lp of all things. communication breakdown and that's clearly what's going on here a little bit. there's a communication breakdown. but this still feels as if it's not panic mode yet and maybe i'm the naive one here, whistling pass -- >> no one has ever called you naive. >> it does feel as if we're two weeks away before you hit the panic button.
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once that weekend before the christmas holidays come, 14th, 15th, 16th if we were in the same place and two weeks from now, then we would be like hit the panic button. when you're hearing that there are contingency plans being floated even if poo-pooed, house republicans will pass the middle class tax cut and get out of here, the fact that those are in the either tells you there are last-ditch ways to avoid full-fledged fiscal cliff. >> chris cizilla, what about bringing up the debt ceiling as they did in this opening bid for the white house. they say that this has to be part of any agreement. the president does not want to face this couple of weeks down the road in january. >> and understandably so, andrea, but i -- i guess you never say never, and so let's put it there. i can't imagine that republicans would give on this -- this is something that has always been done by congress. push back and say something always done by congress and
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until the last few years was never controversial in the least and looks like it will be controversial certainly the next debt limit in late february, early march. i can't imagine, it seems like a bridge too far. it seems like you put it out there, and use it knowing you're not going to get it, use it as one of the concessions you're willing to give to get to a deal. i'm with chuck. i still remain somewhat optimistic, but i do think there is -- you can make a political argument that going over the fiscal cliff, may be in democrats' best political interests. now that takes aside the entire debate over whether it's a good thing for the economy. >> they have no idea. >> nobody knows for sure. >> it's a very good point. >> it's a big risk. >> and if you look at polling that says, well this would -- they would blame -- you never know if it's true. i think that is a theory in some democratic circles but to your point, andrea, i think the uncertainty creeps in why no one is saying let's let this deadline pass. >> before i let you both go,
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since you're two of the smartest people i know in washington, where do we stand on cabinet selections and, you know, the foreign policy team. >> we saw this joking moment, let me replay it, a news conference to push the u.n. treaty on disabilities which -- >> which is going to -- may fail. >> which is unbelievable since america has been -- >> very surprising. >> way out front since the days of bush '41 and tom harken was the big -- >> bob dole. >> and john mccain today made a plea for bob dole who is in walter reed he wants to see this great moment, a worldwide standard, it would be good for business, but as you pointed out on the daily rundown today, the chamber of commerce supports this, selling wheelchairs -- >> around the world. >> and here, it's stalemate. it needs two-thirds, more than 60. this is a treaty. because it has u.n. attached to it -- >> going to say it's brand, it's about brand. >> at that moment with mccain and john kerry because of foreign relations issue and this
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is the way mccain sort of gigged john kerry and kerry teased him back. >> thank you very much, mr. secretary. >> thank you very much, mr. president. >> and there was a lot of joking after that. a lot of laughing. >> we should have showed. >> two of them have been close. people forget that the vietnam caucus, as strained as things have gotten in washington. >> they worked hard on that. >> what remains of it. >> with kerry and jack reed and the guys that are left, they're all -- they all look out for each other. >> where do you think it stands? there are some suggesting the president should let the susan rice issue quiet down and let her withdraw. >> there are aides in the white house a little frustrated saying hey, mr. president, you got to make a decision. the fact of the matter he hasn't made a decision between susan rice or john kerry. the argument being made, they're sort of hanging in the wind. john kerry has been very -- he
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has really kept a low profile. susan rice chose the opposite, a decision to say i have to save my skin here. maybe prove or disprove whether i'm worth the political risk and let me try to cool things down myself. they both took on two different tracks. if the president had decided i think we would have it. there is a feeling in the white house you can't let this lingering. the other problem, they don't want seven confirmation hearings at the same time. they would kind of like to space these out a bit. >> john kerry going in and out, back doors to avoid the press and not taking questions on this today. chris cizilla, we'll see you later. thank you so much. >> the business community is closely tracking all of this. the progress or lack of progress on the fiscal cliff talks and also wondering who is going to be the next treasury secretary. joining me steve rattner, wall street finance year, former head of president obama's auto task force. thanks for joining us, steve. first of all, what about the scenario that oh let's just let them go over the cliff and won't matter and the markets will view
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it as a nonevent. what do you think some. >> certainly going to matter. there's no question it's going to matter. it's going to matter to the markets. we don't know how much. this is an unprecedented situation, at least in my lifetime. we've had crises and debt ceilings and all that, but going over a cliff like this is a new one. the markets would be volatile, extremely -- a lot of downward pressure on them. and then the question would be how do businesses and consumers behave and quickly do they pull back? everyone knows the immediate impact from the government coming back and spending wouldn't be that great. the question then is how do businesses and consumers react? i don't think it will be a pretty sight. >> what about the debt ceiling? there was a suggestion? geithner's opening bid that they do a permanent fix and give the president the operative control over whether or not the debt ceiling is raised. there's a lot of confusion out there about what the debt ceiling really is. opponents to this tend to argue this will increase government spending when you and i know
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it's just to raise the limit for what congress has already appropriated to be spent. >> in a perfect world a debt ceiling is a stupid way to run a railroad. congress should appropriate what it wants to appropriate. the white house and the executive branches should go ahead and spend it and that's the way you should run it. we're not in a perfect world and we have the debt ceiling. i don't see any possibility that the republicans are going to permanently give up the right to weigh in on the debt ceiling from time to time. on the other hand, i don't see any possibility that the white house would agree to deal now that doesn't get past this february, march deadline on the debt ceiling we face. it makes no sense at all to go past the fiscal cliff, maybe solve that problem, and then run right into a debt ceiling discussion. so i think what the white house is signaling is that at a minimum, any deficit package has to include this immediate february and march debt ceiling that we're going to hit. >> is jack lew the current chief of staff and former budget director the top candidate to be
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treasury? what is your best guess? >> he appears to be the frontrunner from everything you see and read and hear and he is a -- i've known him a long time. he's an accomplished guy. he knows these issues perfectly. he has worked in the financial community and has a sense of that and vice versa. and so i think he would be a it terrific choice. >> we should say there are a couple other people who have been rumored to being vetted. roger altman, former treasury official, larry fink, be erskine bowles. this what is alan simpson, erskine bowles' partner in the deficit commission, had to say about that possibility last week on the show. >> he said he would be very pleased to do that. he shared that with me personally, as long as they move the treasury department to north carolina, to charlotte. i don't think -- >> he's worked so hard on this. you don't think he could be persuaded? >> never. because he wouldn't want to serve in a dysfunctional
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government. >> and no argument that it is dysfunctional. one of the key players here who is leaving government was mentioning -- i was asking, why is jack lew so disliked, let's say, by the republicans with whom he negotiates? and the answer that i was given was that he knows the budget. he knows the baseline and the baseline is really what mandates how much in cuts really will be cut and that he ran circles around the house negotiators last summer durings the super committee because he knew what he was talking about. which, you know, arguably that's a big difference. you can say there are $4 trillion in cuts but $4 trillion can become only $800 billion if you have the baseline wrong. >> oh, you can do anything you want with these numbers and i think it will be important as we go through this process to be sure that the press and the experts and everybody holds both sides accountable on the numbers and makes sure whatever deficit
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reduction is being portrayed as consisting of, is, in fact, what it actually consists of. and the fact is, what worries me almost as much as going over the so-called fiscal cliff, is the possibility that we have an inadequate solution. some form of kick the can down the road. we need $4 trillion of deficit reduction over the next ten years to stop the rate of debt to gdp from continuing to grow, at least stabilize our financial problem. we're not going to balance the budget, not going to start paying down the debt, but stop the hemorrhaging if we get $4 trillion. i worry because this is a fractious issue, that we won't get the $4 trillion and that's as i said, scares me almost as much as going over the cliff itself. >> steve rattner, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> how will democrats respond to speaker boehner's challenge of the weekend. up next, michigan congressman sandra levin. hillary clinton turns up the heat on syria. and later, celebrating 25 years
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flabbergasted. you can't be serious. i've never seen anything like it. we've got seven weeks between election day and the end of the year and three of those weeks have been wasted with this nonsense. >> okay. >> so how did john boehner feel about the white house's opening offer? michigan congressman sandra levin is ranking member of the house weighs and means committee. you saw the speaker's reaction.
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they felt this is a nonstarter bringing up the debt ceiling, not being specific about entitlements. what is the democratic caucus' response to the speaker? >> i think he's wrong in this sense. i'm optimistic. i think things are coming to a head. the republicans have a clear choice to continue the norquist stranglehold or have it broken and the consequences, not continuing the middle class tax cut and continuing the wealthy for all the consequences for the unemployed, those who go to doctors and doctors have to be reimbursed, i think in the end the republicans will choose to have the hammer lock, the stranglehold of norquist ended. >> well, some would say that the aarp has a stronglehold on the -- strangle hold on the democratic caucus now that aarp has even come out against means
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testing on entitlements. do you think the democrats will vote for means testing on medicare and other ways to make cuts from the entitlement side to balance what you're hoping to get on the revenue side from the republicans? >> i don't think there is any strangle hold by aarp or anybody else on us. the president proposed last week some addressing of entitlements about $400 billion in medicare and others. there is no stranglehold. that's the difference. and i think the republicans in the end will decide not to go over the cliff with norquist. the consequences would be so substantial, as steve rattner has indicated. it just should not happen and i think the last weeks haven't been a waste of time. what's really been happening is, this as i said, has been coming to a head. the republicans have a major decision to make. and that is, essentially, who's running their party? is it norquist? is it the people who spoke in the election and voted for the
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president? this issue was foremost in the campaign. the people spoke. the republicans need to listen. in the end, i think that will happen. >> and how critical do you think the debt ceiling question is to any agreement that you're willing to take? >> i think steve rattner was correct. i think we cannot continue to just have it hang over our heads. i think it needs to be resolved as part of these discussions of the fiscal cliff. it cannot simply be allowed to hang there for the next few months. i think they have to be both resolved. i think they will be. >> congressman s sander levin, you very much. >> thanks. >> coming up next, they are suving in iraq and afghanistan and in huge numbers, but without either the pay, benefits or other side benefits of being a combat troop. what do women really want next on "andrea mitchell reports."
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280,000 women have served in iraq and afghanistan since 2001. 144 have died. yet more than 230,000 current positions in the military are closed to female troops. backed by the aclu, four women service members are suing the pentagon for barring them from direct combat duty. zoey is a captain in the u.s. marine corps reserves and plaintiff in the lawsuit, air yell la is a senior staff attorney for the aclu women rights project. thanks so much. captain bodell, you deployed twice to afghanistan and basically left the active duty marines corps because you were blocked from the combat duty. what is the difference, the most important difference, between being able to be in combat and not? >> well, to be clear, women are serving in combat and i was in
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charge of a team called the female gaugement team -- engagement team and i had 47 marines and they were in combat if that unit was attacked, they were attacked with them. so i do want to make clear women are in combat and we're asking that the policy be changed to reflect the reality of what's happening on the ground. >> i mean -- >> exactly. the point you're making is that in these wars, there's to front line, there's no rear guard. once you've deployed you are in combat, you are subject to all of the duties and the risks inherent in that but you're not permitted to have combat status and that designation carries with it a whole raft of implications for your future promotions and other benefits. >> that's exactly right. women are serving in combat, serving in these roles, but they're not getting -- not being assigned to these units and that's where the discrepancy
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comes in, the reality isn't matching the policy. so women are not getting opportunities to do all the same training that the units supporting are doing when they go to afghanistan. and then afterwards they're not recognized for the contribution they've made. so whether that's a question getting equal access to veteran benefits or promotion opportunities that -- for jobs that would require combat experience, women aren't getting the recognition there and it means that the best people aren't being selected for the jobs which hurts their military's competitiveness overall. >> arianna, you're the attorney for this lawsuit. two of the other plaintiffs have received purple hearts, injured while deployed. what is the legal course now? because this has always been such a difficult challenge suing the military. >> absolutely. the point of the lawsuit is to say that the policy needs to catch up to the reality. the pentagon has opened up a small number of jobs recently, but when you look at the context
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of 238,000 position closed, including entire career fields, and some training schools that don't allow women in, it's a disservice to say to somebody coming back with a purple heart who has been injured in combat in the service of our country, to say we're not going to officially recognize that you were doing combat duty and that women have the capacity to compete for these positions. >> briefly, in the time we have left, has the court taken the case? do you have standing? what is the next course legally? >> yes. so the complaint was filed last week and it is now in federal district court and i think the question for the pentagon is, whether this is a policy that you come in and try to defend at this point after ten years of women doing these jobs. >> we will follow this closely. please do come back. thank you very much, captain bo dell and arianna mcdowell. >> coming up chemical weapons in syria and israel, a lot going on
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in the middle east. we'll cover it with jane harman. the royal baby on board. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. [ female announcer ] think a thick cream is the only way to firm skin? challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist.
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...could end with adding a close friend. ♪ the lexus december to remember sales event is on, offering some of our best values of the year. this is the pursuit of perfection. topping the headlines on "andrea mitchell reports" kansas city police continue the investigation into the murder/suicide involving joe van belcher announcing the gun used was legally purchased. chiefs players and fans held a moment of silence at sunday's home game against the panthers. jovan and his girlfriend leave behind a 3-month-old daughter. residents across california and the pacific northwest felt the full force of another storm over the weekend. thousands of people are still dealing with power outages. cleanup is under way across a region that will see more wet
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weather this week. after nearly two decades the american psychiatric association has revised its diagnostic manual impacting millions around the world. three major diagnoses are being added, binge eating, hoarding and disruptive mood disorder. two are being removed. aspergers syndrome will fit into an expanded diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. dyslexia recategorized under learning disorders. and make room at kensington palace and cue the paparazzi. the duchess of cambridge is expecting. >> hey, andrea. exciting news, also some worry because what we learned today was that the duchess of cambridge has been taken into hospital for what the palace is describing as acute morning sickness. one in 50 pregnant woman apparently suffer this very more
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serious condition, which means that she needs extra nutrients and liquids in order to protect her health and protect the health of the baby. prince william is in the hospital with her. she is there and it is through her going into hospital, to be honest, that we learned this news, that she is pregnant. because she is no the at the 12 week stage, the crucial stage. i don't think the palace would have want wanted to make this announcement as early as this. people would have said why is she in hospital. they've made the announcement announcing sir james palace their royal highness the duke and duchess are pleased to announce the dutches of cambridge is expecting a baby. they won't say when the baby is due. we don't know if it's going to be a boy or a girl. one interesting aspect, andrea, the british government changed the law just this year in preparation for this, a lieu that would have been in these modern times considered sexist
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which said that only a baby boy could be in line for the throne. whether or not this baby is a girl or a boy, she or he will be in line for the throne, third in line for the throne after charles, after william. so it's a very important moment coming up for the country, of course, because not only is it a new member of the royal family, not only a baby for this most glamorous of international couples, but as well as that, we are seeing a potentially the birth of the future king or queen. it comes after all of that speculation, andrea, they're on tour and people said why is kate not drinking alcohol, champagne, that kind of thing, drinking water, why -- and when prince william was given a baby toy just last week he said, i'll keep that. leading people to speculate maybe kate was pregnant. now we know she is. >> all exciting news. we wish her good health and all of the expectation now for what is going to follow. we hope the paparazzi are a little more restrained than in
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the past in the uk. thanks so much. and as nato prepares to deploy patriot missile defenses to turkey and votes coming up this week, secretary of state hillary clinton in europe this week has warned the assad regime and syria against resorting to chemical weapons. >> their behavior is reprehensible. their actions against their own people have been tragic. but there is no doubt that there's a line between even the horrors they have already inflicted on the syrian people and moving to what would be an internationally condemned step of utilizing their chemical weapons. >> joining me is former california congresswoman and president of the woodrow wilson center, jane harman. congresswoman, let's talk first about syria and the chemical weapon threat and all of the pressure now on the u.s. to
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recognize the opposition and to become more engaged. are there any options that you hear are likely to be taken? >> well, the focus is now on syria. events on the ground are changing. if these published reports are to be believed and there's some efforts to move chemical weapons i believe as hillary clinton has hinted, that will bring the entire international community into this game. that includes russia, which has been on the sidelines actually arming the syrian government until now, but hopefully russia, no one wants to see syria use, again it was reported in 1982 that hall fa al assad used chemical weapons on his people. our government again is reported to be moving to recognize this more unified opposition. the fact that it exists is partially a credit to secretary of state clinton, but also to egypt and other neighbors who have pushed for this to happen. its headquarters is currently in cairo, by the way. and so if this happens and if
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the international community focuses i think there is finally a chance of a -- not just a way for the end of this -- the assad regime to be achieved, but for a responsible government to move into its place. >> and now let me ask you, move you to the israeli/u.s. relationship, because israel has now taken one more step, first last week as we reported they took a key step in deciding to build this e-1 settlement which if they were to proceed, is a red line, i know that the british have warned them that they have crossed a red line, that israel should not even tactically be taking this step to further push down abbas after the hamas victory recently, and by taking this line it would make it impossible to ever have a palestinian state because it would be dividing ramallah from jerusalem. ramallah and the other west bank cities. what about the united states? are we taking a hard enough line
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with israel? this was a total surprise and i understand that u.s. officials are very, very upset about it? >> well, the timing was -- is very difficult for us, especially after the u.s. took a principled vote which many in our country disagreed with, to oppose just this aspirational vote on palestinian statehood and we were there with israel and seven other countries, canada and a number of other small countries. this is difficult. as you know, andrea, this is just a preliminary step and there are lots of permits to go and this housing may never be built and it is certainly u.s. policy to oppose more building like this. i think it's -- we're at a tough step and i don't think public argument is helpful. hopefully behind the scenes a the lo of conversation -- lot of conversations going on not just between the u.s. and israel but the u.s. and our allies who are obviously dismayed by israel's actions. >> speaking of behind the scenes conversations, what about what's
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happened to susan rice and all of the speculation about john kerry. should the president move sooner rather than later to resolve this one way or the other? because either way, both of these individuals can be damaged in the eyes of the world and the eyes politically here? >> well, a lot of people are observing that susan rice had very little to do with the benghazi situation. she read off of talking points. she's talented and capable woman whom i have known for many years. it's the president's call. he's entitled to have people in the positions that he chooses to have them. congress has to confirm these people. they have been warned that the susan rice confirmation could be difficult, but the president has a right to choose her if he wishes and with respect to john kerry, very capable man, according to press reports he's also being considered for the secretary of defense position. again, i don't know what happens there. he does a marvelous job in the
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united states congress as head of the foreign relations committee. we have all good options for john in my view. john kerry could serve ably in any number of positions. want to say about egypt, i don't know how much time you have, andrea, but some key egyptian national security officials are in washington now explaining egypt's recent actions. again that's a whole -- >> we were going to -- >> big pile of moves. i mean many good, some troubling, hopefully egypt and the people of egypt can find their way through this latest constitutional crisis and there can be a adopted by referendum a constitution that most of the people in egypt fear -- feel is fair. my comment there is sadly, both sides don't do politics very well. they're good at protesting and boycotting and issue decrees, they're not as good and our congress isn't so good at the moment either in working out compromises. after all, if both sides are a little unhappy it's probably the best way forward. >> jane harman, thank you very
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much. >> thank you. up next, jazz great winston mars marsales to celebrate an important milestone. this is "andrea mitchell reports" only on msnbc. we've all had those moments. when you lost the thing you can't believe you lost. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an american express cardmember you can expect some help. but what you might not expect, is you can get all this with a prepaid card. spends like cash. feels like membership. ♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪ nothing melts away the cold like a hot, delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup from campbell's. ♪ let it snow, let it snow
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five days later, i had a massive heart attack. bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. ♪ >> since 1987 jazz at lincoln center has championed this most american of art forms at the world's first concert venue designed for jazz and now it celebrates its 25th anniversary with the commemorative book "in the spirit of swing" chronicling the beginnings. jazz musician wynton marsalis is the managing and artistic at jazz lincoln center and joins me from new york.
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thank you very much. for all of your many, many achievements, i have to tell you that what really moves my heart is what you have done for education, for kids in new york city and around the world, the 30 countries you've been to, the school programs you have initiated especially as we do less and less music education in our schools. i want to thank you for that. >> thank you very much. it's a blessing. >> talk to me about this anniversary and the importance of a quarter century of jazz at music center at lincoln center. >> i think we've had the opportunity to work as a community and meet with people all over the world, really, for the purposes of using jazz and the arts to uplift people and bring them together. and the education programs have been so well received. we have about 12 of them that cover kids of all ages from our little infants to jazz in the schools, we're going to be in -- we'll do 120 performances in the new york city public schools alone and we have essentially ellington, a high school jazz
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band festival and jazz competition we've been doing for 18 years and it's really been a blessing for parents and kids, so pane of our events -- many of our events. it has a profound impact because jazz speaks to your individuality and gives you the tools to learn how to negotiate with other people and respect for their creativity also. >> i've watched some of the film of you, for instance, in cuba, talk to me about your trips to cuba and how you related because of the enormous musical tradition in cuba and throughout, you know, the cuban experience, but your connection to those people has been pretty profound. >> jazz at lincoln center has brought cuban musicians for some time. some of the greatest, frankie, some of the great cuban musicians have played with us. we have the opportunity to go there and play was an unbelievable reception. we went to a lot of schools. we taught kids. the one thing that struck me most of all from years of
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teaching our kids, the one difference was that they don't have a generation gap. so it was -- it's not surprising to see 15 and 16 and 14-year-old students cheering a teacher in her 50s or 60s. we got to meet our ear training teacher. it portended well for us in this country some of the things we may have needed to move our culture along from the 1950s and 60s are not needed right now, and that was one -- and they have so many fantastic musicians there. >> how much are we losing in our country because we have cut back so much in the arts and music in our education and our public school education? >> well, we're losing a lot. not just in public schools. in private schools. we don't understand the arts and culture help us to focus our political and financial aspirations. if you don't have a cultural base, you don't really know who you are. we have such an identity crisis in this time and one of the ways
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for us to solve that is to focus and concentrate on what has been achieved in the arts in this country and know who our great artists are. >> i also wanted to ask you about new orleans and how much was lost there and how you have worked so hard to rebuild that great city which is, of course, the source of the origins of jazz? our country. >> the city was under water and we lost a lot. the katrina story for the country is ultimately a very heroic story. people come from all over volunteers, everything from lawn sales, little kids, volunteers of all kinds, continue to come into the city. tourists, conventions being booked all over the world, people are pouring to new orleans and have taken our citizens in and i think, you know, we have struggled and we continue to struggle, but we continue to develop but i think from a national standpoint it's really a heroic story for our country. >> and who are your role models?
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aside from your father? >> so many of the great artists and musicians. jerry mulligan, the list goes on. i've been fortunate to have great mentorship. >> how important is your role as a composure as well? it's all integral, but you're a performer, leader, educator. if someone were to ask you, wynton, what is the most important thing i do as a musician, could you distinguish one from another? >> i really can't. i think the most important thing i try to do is bring our traditions together and to participate fully in the time of now. i don't believe in segregation, in generation gaps, and i believe that all eras of jazz are modern and of american music. i think mainly to bring our styles and our history and our music together and make it be potent and powerful in this
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moment. >> it's such an important lesson. the book is "in the spirit of swing" it's a great commemorative book. 25 years of jazz at lincoln center. >> right. >> and it's a great place to go for anybody going up to new york. >> right. >> see the tree, see the rockettes, see something else, but go to lincoln center and then also go to jazz at lincoln center at columbus thank you so much. >> thank you. you're always welcome. >> and what political story will be making headlines in the next 24 hours? that's next right here. stay with us on andrea mitchell reports. join the counter revn and switch to olay pro-x to see results in 28 days. anti-aging results so you look up to 12 years younger. reduce the look of pores and fight red acne for clearer skin get cleansing results as effective as a $200 system no matter what your skincare issues you'll see results in 28 days guaranteed join the counter revolution with potent, professional, pro-x.
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which political stoerl will make headlines in the 24 hours. chris returns, and chris, we're going to hear from the president on twitter or at least so they say at white house. the president is answering questions about the fiscal cliff. how does that work? >> well, it's kind of interesting, andrea. we know that the white house has adopted a campaign-style way to
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sell the need to raise tax rates and generate more revenue from the wealthy. this is kind of in keeping of -- they have a couple minute video sent to reporters. this is another way to try and drive conversation via social media and amp up pressure on lawmakers to get republicans to capitulate. this is kind of one part i would say of a multi-front effort to adapt some of the tactics that clearly work for president obama in the campaign imported over to policy. they tried this with health care, andrea, back in 2009. it didn't work all that well. let's see if this operation works better. >> the other big twitter aannouncement today wa was @pontifx. the pope is going to start tweeting as of september 12th. >> he already has more followers than you and i and has been on
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for one day. >> it's amazing how things happen. >> god. >> back to the white house, jay carney said during the briefing in this hour as you can and chuck todd reported at the top of the hour that the president did not make a decision about secretary state. that's a whole foreign policy package, because you have to do the state department, cia, defense, national security, u.n. ambassador depending on what moves he makes. it's a whole puzzle he has to fill out all the pieces. the national security aadviser is the only one that does not require senate confirmation. >> it feels kind of like it, and yachlt when you look at it politically it feels like the yes susan rice and no susan rice for state is the first domino that if you go with her, then maybe john kerry for defense. there's a lot of moving parts, so he has to make the susan rice decision first. all the other decisions frankly will be easier after that one. >> is that decision is related to a lot of other things.
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it basically is how much of a fight do you want to have right now with senate republicans? >> to not go off the fiscal cliff. >> and whether you can back down after that you have been so aaggressive against you. stay tuned. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." follow the show online. tamron has as a look at what's next on "news nation." >> great to see you. in the next hour, twitter time with the president. the white house just confirmed president obama will be answering questions on twitter regarding the fiscal cliff orifior fiscal stalemate. we'll get a live report how it works. can he get the ball rolling? congressman karen bass and conk man chris van hollen will join me to talk about where things stand. bob costas bold statement on gun control in the wake of the suicide involving javon belcher.
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